Chapter 5: Items for Burial

Humans are beings capable of creating miracles.

Because humans always do things that defy logic.

Though they knew the danger ahead was immense, all of them were willing to risk their lives for the sake of that unknown wonder, gambling on a sliver of uncertain future.

Because risking one’s life isn’t terrifying—it’s the lack of a worthy stake that’s frightening.

Although Li Yi wasn’t the first to move, his efficiency was the highest.

Because most of the danger had been drawn away by Wang Hu, Wei Li, and Zhang Kaiwen, only a few strange corpses writhed sporadically in the mud before him, and those corpses were surging rapidly toward the others, completely ignoring his presence.

Precisely because of this, he dared to take the gamble.

“So close.”

Li Yi’s heart pounded wildly; he was drawing nearer to the lone grave, even able to make out the characters on the broken tombstone—yet the script twisted like tadpoles, unlike any historical script, an unknown language and culture.

He didn’t dare pause for an instant, pressing forward at his fastest speed.

Meanwhile.

A cry of desperate anguish echoed suddenly from nearby.

Li Yi’s eyelid twitched; he instinctively glanced in that direction.

The man named Zhang Kaiwen now had more than half his body sunk into the mud, entangled by three or four strange corpses, his body sinking rapidly as if vanishing from this world entirely; despite his frantic struggles, it was useless.

The mud-caked corpses seemed terrifyingly heavy, far beyond what an ordinary person could resist.

“I won’t accept failure—I was so close!”

Zhang Kaiwen still screamed and thrashed, but soon his head was forcibly shoved into the mud by a filthy, icy hand.

The moment he vanished underground, all his struggles ceased; only one mud-smeared arm remained exposed, twisted, grotesque, rigid and still.

“So everyone who dies here becomes a corpse in the mud, forever trapped here, unable to escape.”

Li Yi’s blood ran cold, but he quickly looked away, gritting his teeth and pressing onward.

Because he saw that after Zhang Kaiwen died, the surrounding mud stirred—the few terrifying corpses lifted their heads, wailing in agony as they surged toward him.

Though they rolled in the mud, their speed was unnaturally fast, defying all logic.

“Is Zhang Kaiwen dead?” Wei Li grew increasingly anxious.

Because one less person shared the burden, his own danger increased.

Yet his speed had reached its limit—he didn’t know if he could make it to the other side, but he knew he had no retreat, not before, not now.

“Strength, damn it, come out of my body now—it’s still daytime, not your nap time!” A sudden roar echoed through the darkness.

Wang Hu was caked in mud, yet he unleashed unimaginable power, breaking free from one of the mud-bound corpses, then sprinting and leaping like a wild beast, overtaking Li Yi in mere moments and achieving the miracle of being the first to reach the lone grave.

Beside the grave, the earth was firm, overgrown with wild grass—stepping on it didn’t cause sinking.

“How did he do that?” Wei Li, a doctor, was stunned; he felt Wang Hu, an ordinary man, had shattered all common sense.

Could you just shout a few words to burst free from such a thing?

What nonsense.

At this moment, Li Yi paused to catch his breath; his route had been the safest, and now he had arrived at the grave unscathed.

No time to worry about the dangers around—he had to grab something and leave quickly.

As he had observed earlier, the grave had been looted: the coffin lid lay overturned, the corpse’s bones discarded nearby, and inside the empty coffin lay only tattered, ragged clothes—no burial items, no wonder.

Li Yi and Wang Hu had come for nothing.

But the next moment, Wang Hu unhesitatingly grabbed the dried corpse on the ground.

“Unknown master, your bones haven’t rotted after all these years—come with me, Wang Hu. I’ll take you and overturn this world, hahaha!” He laughed loudly, then turned and fled in one direction, never looking back, the dried corpse in hand.

His actions jolted Li Yi awake.

No one knew what the wonder was—take whatever you can.

He dashed over, snatched up the pile of ragged clothes from the coffin, and turned to run.

As he turned, he saw Wei Li arriving.

Their eyes met; neither interfered with the other.

Wei Li headed straight for the scattered offerings beside the tombstone, for scattered among them were several artifacts.

Like Li Yi and Wang Hu, he grabbed them and fled.

Because everyone knew they couldn’t linger, and greedily taking more would only delay their escape.

The three scattered in different directions; whether what they held was a wonder or had value—only heaven knew.

The corpses in the mud still wailed and writhed; these terrifying things had erupted, breaking free from the mud’s grip, crawling aimlessly in all directions.

The monstrous shrieks had even reached beyond the building.

“Someone has taken the wonder that holds the dead’s resentment—only when such a wonder leaves its place do the bound souls and vengeful ghosts lose control and spread wildly.”

“But how is this possible? They were all five ordinary people—how did they survive against earthbound spirits?”

“Could someone truly be fated? Or was it just pure luck?”

The woman who had awakened her spiritual mediumship flickered with surprise; she had believed those people had no hope, destined to perish on the second basement level—but now, a miracle had truly occurred.

“Since they got what they wanted, it’s our turn to collect.” The old crow’s voice, low and tense, carried a hint of excitement.

“Don’t rush—we can’t approach this building yet.”

The woman’s eyes gleamed; in her vision, countless vengeful spirits and ghosts drifted around the collapsed building, many noticing her presence and surging toward her—but these spirits dissolved midair almost instantly.

Without the wonder sustaining them, these things were powerless and would vanish entirely soon.

This polluted world hindered cultivation, yet paradoxically protected its people.

Otherwise, after the Heaven’s Collapse, ghosts and monsters would have overrun the world long ago.

“Someone’s coming out.”

Suddenly, the old crow turned his gaze toward the entrance of the abandoned building.

In the darkness, accompanied by labored panting, a figure stumbled out in panic.

“Help, help!” the person cried.

“It’s that woman, Liu Yan.”

The old crow immediately recognized her: “She’s the first to escape alive? I guessed she didn’t risk entering the core zone—good, those who aren’t greedy have a high chance of survival. Wait—something’s wrong. What’s on her?”

To ordinary eyes, Liu Yan was merely fleeing—but in the old crow’s vision, a cold, rigid, grotesque corpse extended a twisted hand, gripping her ankle, being dragged along as it slowly dissolved into her body.

As the ghost’s form faded, Liu Yan’s living aura was visibly weakening.

“She’s been possessed.”

The tall woman beside her spoke coldly: “This ghost is different from other souls—it’s gained some power, knows how to possess a living body. If it succeeds, Liu Yan will become a ‘walking corpse.’ She can’t be allowed to leave alive—kill her now. If she escapes and cultivates, it’ll be terrifying.”

No sooner had she spoken than her eyes flashed again.

Witnessed!

Instantly, Liu Yan’s eyes rolled back, her body lost balance and collapsed to the ground, blood gushing from all seven orifices—she died on the spot.

“Stop!”

At that moment, a roar rang out as a car sped toward them; its occupants tried to intervene, but it was too late.

Before the car even stopped, a figure leapt out with agile speed.

“I’ve been tracking you for a long time. You come to the abandoned district to kill? Do you really think no investigators in Tianchang City dare touch you outlaws?” The man strode forward, face flushed with anger.

“Investigator Wang Jian? When did he start watching us?” The old crow’s expression shifted slightly.

“Since we’re exposed, deal with him.”

The tall woman’s face remained cold; she showed no concern over having just killed someone.

“Your eyes… have you awakened spiritual mediumship? You’re young, yet you possess such talent—what are you?” Wang Jian studied the woman and asked.

“I’m Ning Wu, a cultivator, not a criminal. I killed her for a reason—she was already possessed. Even if I hadn’t acted, she wouldn’t have lived three days. Letting her escape would bring greater chaos to the district. Wang Jian, as an investigator, you don’t want ghosts and deaths in your jurisdiction, do you?” Ning Wu said.

“You say she was possessed, so I believe you?” Wang Jian stared at her. “Your accomplices tricked three groups in the old district: first fifteen, then ten, today five more. Each group vanished and never returned. That alone gives me the right to kill you now.”

Ning Wu said: “In this world, paying people to do dangerous tasks is normal—I never forced anyone… wait, no.”

Suddenly.

She sensed something, whirled around, staring back toward the building.

“Crash!”

Amid the sound of shattering glass, Wang Hu burst out of a window, caked in mud, disheveled, clutching the dried corpse, then fled in another direction without looking back.

“Wang Hu, where are you going?” The old crow shouted.

“Looks like he’s not satisfied with two million—he wants to run off with the prize. Hmph, greedy, but still naive.”

Ning Wu’s long legs exploded with power, vanishing from her spot.

Her figure streaked across the ground, leaving a long black shadow in its wake.

Her speed was unimaginable—beyond normal human comprehension.

But the next moment.

Ning Wu’s movement abruptly halted.

“That distance exceeds my sight range. You want to hunt? Think I’m not here?”

Wang Jian intercepted Ning Wu; the two briefly clashed.

“Crash!”

A muffled thud sent dust swirling around them.

Ning Wu staggered backward, her sleeve torn into shreds, a dark bruise marring her pale skin.

“You…” Ning Wu glared, furious.

“I’ll chase him.” The old crow spoke.

But as he was about to move, a red dot appeared on his body, locking him in with intense danger.

“Try it,” Wang Jian glanced at Lao Ya. “See if your legs are faster than my sniper’s bullet.”

Lao Ya dared not act, only standing in place with a dark expression.

He had cultivated, but he was still human—if hit, he would die.

“Bang!”

Another sound of shattering glass echoed.

Li Yi’s figure appeared; he was equally battered, but at least he had escaped the building alive.

“Li Yi, stop! Don’t even think of running. Where did you get that thing you’re holding? Drop it at your feet, and I’ll pay you two million.” Lao Ya barked.

“Transfer the money now, and I’ll drop it right away,” Li Yi halted, turned back, and said.

Lao Ya said: “I can’t transfer money right now. You’ll get your share after this is over.”

“No money, no talk. Do you think I’m stupid? You clearly don’t want to pay, but you still want the item—and you’re trying to kill me to cover it up.” Li Yi finished speaking and turned to run.

He had just realized: Investigator Wang Jian was facing off against Lao Ya and his group.

No wonder that woman with the spirit medium activation hadn’t moved to stop Wang Hu when he ran earlier.

Seeing Li Yi flee, Lao Ya was furious enough to kill—those two were running off with something in hand; it might even be a Strange Artifact.

“These money-crazed bastards—I shouldn’t have hired them in the first place.”

But as soon as Li Yi left, Wei Li also fled the building from another direction; he was wounded and in poor condition, but he had survived.

Yet when he saw the two runners and Liu Yan’s corpse—blood gushing from all seven orifices—he fell silent for a moment.

Then he bolted in another direction in panic.

Seeing the last person flee with something in hand, not only was Lao Ya furious enough to kill, but Ning Wu nearly spat blood in rage.

“Wang Jian, let me bring those people back. I need to recover what belongs to me. After that, I’ll return with you to assist the investigation—how about that? I swear I won’t harm them.”

She was frantic, feeling the duck slip from her grasp.

But she dared not mention the Strange Artifact—otherwise, it wouldn’t be just Wang Jian coming after her; the entire cultivation community of Tianchang City would come hunting her.

“They’re victims, and ordinary people. Let them go. I don’t know what they took, but it’s irrelevant to me. My duty is to keep you two here.” Wang Jian rejected Ning Wu’s proposal without hesitation.

“Wang Jian, you’ll regret this.”

Ning Wu clenched her teeth, helplessly watching the three vanish from her sight.

“I’ll have to find them again later.”

“Will you come back with me for investigation, or keep resisting? Choose.” Wang Jian said.

Ning Wu closed her eyes, calmed herself, then said: “I’ll go with you to assist the investigation. But before that, I need to make a phone call.”

“Fine, as long as you don’t resist.” Wang Jian said.

Though he was confident he could subdue her, he had no desire to fight such ruthless villains.